We are well and truly into the rhythm of Term 4, and there is plenty happening in the religious life of the College. Today marks the final day of classes for our Year 12 students, and we will farewell them with a special Liturgy at the Padua Campus. This is a beautiful opportunity for students and staff to thank our seniors for their leadership, friendship, and contribution to College life, and to wish them every success as they prepare for their external exams.

Yesterday, we gathered for our final College assembly with our 2025 leaders and Year 12s - a joyful occasion for our Assisi community to express their support and best wishes. We look forward to celebrating with them once more at the upcoming Rite of Passage Liturgy and Graduation Formal.

As our Year 12 students prepare to move beyond our College gates, we hold onto the theme of hope - hope for their future, hope in the gifts God has given them, and hope that they will continue to let their light shine wherever life takes them. Hope reminds us that endings are also beginnings, and that with faith and courage, new paths unfold.

Prayer for Year 12 Students

Good and loving God,

We thank you for giving us the opportunity to work with our senior students in their time at our College.

Please bless our Year 12s as they reach the end of their schooling and as they chart new beginnings.

May what they have learned by being in our College allow them to truly let their light shine, and may what we have learned from them enable us to do the same.

Please help them to approach their upcoming exams with a clear, focused mind and enable them to do themselves proud.

Help them to use all that they have learned at our College to make the world a better place — to serve others in solidarity and fraternity, to seek ways to help the poor, the marginalised, and those who are suffering, and to always seek the greater good.

Amen.

As we move further into the term, our focus also turns outward to those in need through the St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal. Each year, our College community comes together to collect donations and create Christmas hampers for local families doing it tough. These hampers are a practical way of living our Franciscan values, showing compassion, generosity, and hope to others during the Christmas season. Students and families are encouraged to contribute non-perishable food items, festive treats, or small gifts to help make Christmas a little brighter for others.

The Month of the Rosary

October is traditionally celebrated as the Month of the Rosary — a time to reflect on Mary’s deep faith and her closeness to Jesus. The Rosary invites us to meditate on the life of Christ through Mary’s eyes, drawing us into prayer and peace amid our busy lives. As we honour Mary this month, may we find strength and hope in her example of trust, humility, and love.

Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.

Rachel Bond                                                                          Rose Fitzsimmons